Henry A Wiley (DM 29) - Naval Cruise Book

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Gamcfa. Ejafmafian COMMANDER P. H. Bjarnason en- listed in the regular Navy on May 27, 1930, as an apprentice seaman. After his boot training at San Diego Naval Training Center his first ship was the famous flattop, U.S.S. Saratoga. He al- so served as a seaman on the U.S.S. U UR executive officer, Lt. Command- er H. V. Sellers. Jr., entered the Naval Academy in 1936 after completing two years of school at the Young Harris College and one year of teaching. Up- on graduating from the academy on June 7, 1940, he served aboard the U.S.S. New Mexico for one year and a half af ter which he was transferred to the U S S Hughes DD 410 for a year and a half While on board the Hughes he earned seven battle stars for engage ments against the enemy in the Pacific as gun boss He then became Executive Officer and Senior Gunnery Instructor at Pearl Harbor s Fleet Gunnery and Torpedo School After serving there nine months he returned to the States where he was assigned the task of training this crew for the future conflicts with the enemy Since its commissioning Mr Sellers has capably served as Executive Officer Page eight Chaumont, one of the two Navy trans- ports at that time, the Ontario, a sta- tion ship at Samoa 5 and the U.S.S. Miss- issippi. In 1932 he received an appoint- ment to the Naval Academy, graduating in 1936. As an officer he served on the U.S.S. California, the U.S.S. Hamilton, the U.S.S. Bowditch, a Naval survey ship, and the U.S.S. Stockton on which he became executive officer. His first command was the U.S.S. Pruitt, DM-22, and later Commander of Mine Division One. Our captain took command of the Wiley on March 17, 1945, at Ulithi upon return of the ship from the Iwo cam- paign. Only one week later we shoved off for Okinawa and under the captain's capable leadership and fortitude the ship successfully came through the roughest campaign of Naval history. Commander Bjarnason is admired and respected by the crew not only for bring- ing us through the Okinawa campaign successfully but also for his warm in- terest in the welfare of each man aboard and his great sense of humor. With his two sons waiting for him it is easy to see why he is as anxious to return to the states as the rest of us. fl. Gomch. Selina aboard the Wiley through the Iwo J ima and Okinawa campaigns Q , - O I 0 , - , . . . , - . . 2 ' 0 . . - . I 5 I . 9 - ' ' ' o .

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.E IT WAS raining on the day of the launching as the party assembled at 0820 on the launching stand where pho- tographs were being taken of the spon- sor and party. The vessel was launched at 0835 on Friday, 21 April, 1944. Mrs. Elizabeth W. Robb of Boston, Massa- chusetts, was designated by the Secre- tary of the Navy as sponsor of the de- stroyer, named in honor of her father, the late Admiral Henry Ariosto Wiley, U. S. Navy. The U.S.S. HENRY A. WILEY was contracted for on August 7, 1943, and has a standard displacement of 2200 tons. Approximately four hundred persons witnessed the launching of the to-be fa- mous ship as the christening fluid of Brut Curee Champagne was broken against the hull. About forty-five guests were present at the reception after the ceremony. Habana! Wiley ADMIRAL Henry Ariosto Wiley was born in Troy, Pike County, Ala- bama, on January 31, 1867. He died at Palm Beach, Florida, on May 20, 1943. Admiral Wiley was appointed a Naval Cadet from the Fifth Congressional Dis- trict of Texas on May 17, 1883, and in June, 1888, completed the four year course and on June 7 was detached from the Naval Academy. From 1888 to 1890, he served on a number of vessels and on March 1, 1890, was assigned to the Naval Academy for examination, being commissioned ensign on July 1, 1890. After being commissioned, his duties varied as he was promoted in rank until July 16, 1927, when then Vice Admiral Wiley was designated Commander-in- Chief of the United States Fleet, with the rank of admiral effective upon tak- ing over command. He was transferred and advanced to the rank of admiral on the retired list on July 24, 1942. After being on the retired list, Admiral Wiley Was recalled to active duty on October 23, 1941, being relieved of all active duty on November 17, 1942. Admiral Wiley's career in the Navy was a brilliant one, covering forty years of service. He served during two wars while on active duty and served a short period in World War H after having been retired. During the Spanish American War, Admiral Wiley served as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. Maple and in World War I served as Commander of Division A, Atlantic Fleet, Division B, Atlantic Fleet, and Division 4, U. S. Fleet. Admiral Wiley was assigned to tem- porary duty as U. S. Naval Represent- ative on the commission for executing the naval terms of the Armistice with Germany. He also served as Command- er-in-Chief of the United States Fleet from November 8, 1927 , to May, 1929. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Admiral Wiley was recalled to active duty, serving in the Office of Public Relations, Washington, D. C., and in the Office of the Chief of Naval Per- sonnel, Washington, D. C. Admiral Wiley was awarded the Dis- tinguished Service Medal for Service during World War I. He also was awarded the Spanish Campaign Medal, Sampson Medal, Victory Medal, Amer- ican Defense Service Medal, and the Commander of the Order of Leopold CMilitaryJ. Page seven

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COMMANDER Robert E. Gadrow, U.S.N., was our first skipper, hav- ing placed the ship into commission on August 31, 1944. His career as an offi- cer of the United States Navy is a bril- liant one and under his leadership the development and efficiency of this crew is one of which he may be proud. Upon enlisting in the Navy in 1924 he served as a seaman .prior to entering the Naval Academy. Part of this time Was spent attending the Electrician Mate's School-at Norfolk. He graduated from the Academy and was commission- ed an ensign in 1930. His duties Were largely on battleships before studying engineering design in France and taking postgraduate courses in this country. Later he placed the U.S.S. O'Brien, DD-413, in commission as engineering officer before she was fatally torpedoed in the Pacific. Commander Gadrow then put the U.S.S. Isherwood, DD-520, in commission as the Commanding Offi- cer. This ship saw action in the Aleu- tian Islands during 1943 and 1944. After serving on the Isherwood he re- turned to the States and placed the Wiley eapz. .4 CAPT. H. J. Armstrong, U.S.N., Commander of Mine Division Eight, shifted his flag to the U.S.S. Henry A. Wiley on June 7, 1945, and re- Gamch. Qazhow in commission and was with us until March 17, 1945, having brilliantly com- manded this vessel through the battle of Iwo Jima. Commander Gadrow is now serving his tour of shore duty as inspector of naval machinery for the area around Hartford, Connecticut. mained aboard until September. The Commodore was in the Class of 1927 at the Academy and later served as Engineering Officer, Gunnery Offi- cer, Navigator, First Lieutenant and Executive Officer on such ships as the U. S. S. Colorado, U.S.S. Henshaw, U.S.S. Pruitt, U.S.S. Saratoga, U.S.S. Fairfax, and the U.S.S. Oklahoma. In 1941, he received his first command aboard the U.S.S. Waters, DD-115, pa- trolling the Pacific triangle from the West Coast to Pearl to Kiska. His sec- ond command Was the U.S.S. Spence, DD-512, which, after being placed in commission, became part of the famous Little Beaver Squadron in the South Pacific. Before Capt. Armstrong be- came Commander Mine Division Eight on May 4, 1945, he was the skipper of our sister ship, the U.S.S. Adams, DM- 27. 9 The Henry A. Wiley has been proud to fly the division pennant of Command- er Mine Division Eight and Will do its best to live up to the Commodore's opin- ion of this ship. Page nine